ZC rolls out central contracts

HARARE - Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) yesterday started dishing out central contract offers to national team players for the 2016/17 season which gets into effect from September 1.

The local cricket governing body had extended player contracts by a month to allow cricketers to participate in the home series against New Zealand last month.

But in view of the new cricketing year fast approaching, infuriated players staged a boycott of the training sessions demanding to be furnished with new contracts ahead of the team’s preparations for end of month’s visit by Pakistan A and next month’s Test series against Sri Lanka at home.

ZC head of corporate affairs and human resources Nesta Vaki confirmed the meeting between the management led by chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani and managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa with some player representatives.

“We met the players at Harare Sports Club in the morning but the majority of them were absent as they went about their training sessions.

“We then went on to give out about eight contracts offers to those that were available,” Vaki told the Daily News.

“The process will go ahead on Monday and I’m sure we should be through by 12pm. We targeted 16 players for the central contracts but looking to add a bit more by giving some of the upcoming youngsters as we look ahead into the future.”

Vaki could however, not be drawn into disclosing those who have been offered contracts but the Daily News understands that among those that collected their contracts offer include wicketkeeper-batsman PJ Moor who was not part of the meeting as well as seamers Neville Madziva and Tinashe Panyangara among others.

“These are still offers the players took their papers and will bring them back on Monday so at this point in time just allow us as a family to conclude this process then everything else follows when the picture is clear on who has signed.

“There’s a danger that we might confirm some right now and the next moment the player in question turns down the offer,” Vaki added.

Some of the players privy to the meeting said that the ZC leadership said they were working on the issue of match fees to be paid soon.

“Nothing much came out of the meeting, they confirmed contracts would be given today (yesterday) but on the issue of outstanding match fees they said that should be settled in the next two weeks,” said the player.

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